It Stopped... It Really Stopped
"What are you doing?" — asked the Dragon Lady, dressed in snow-white.
Her voluptuous body and the indescribable beauty of her snowy robe couldn't hide the shock on her face.
"Can't you feel the evil aura emanating from that thing?" — she continued.
Danilo remained silent. Though he didn't speak, the determination on his face said it all.
"That thing is extremely malevolent. Its bearer carries the most tragic fate of all," she said, concern evident in her voice.
"The most tragic fate..."
That phrase echoed in Danilo's mind.
Then, he started laughing.
At first, softly — then, louder.
Not with humor, but with darkness.
"The most tragic fate, you say..." — he murmured, his face twisted with sarcasm.
He was fed up.
So fed up that the phrase seemed to flip a switch inside his head.
He simply entered the screw it mode — stopped caring about consequences — and let it all out.
"The most tragic fate? More tragic than watching your mother be humiliated by relatives who think they're superior?
More tragic than being treated like a bargaining chip for family business?
Seeing her called every name imaginable and being powerless to stop it because the others are stronger?
Having a worthless talent and knowing that, sooner or later, someone will take your family away — and you can't do anything because you're weak?
Or ending up as prey in a worthless ceremony, hunted and tortured like cattle by some crazy bitch who clearly sees you as garbage — something disposable, not caring about who depends on you?
And the worst part is that everyone around her applauded the hunt.
I don't even know her, but somehow my death is important to her.
Do you know what will happen to my family if I die?"
While he spoke, Danilo didn't notice — but his body was changing.
When he had fallen into the dragon's blood, his entire body had melted away.
And thanks to supreme regeneration, it began rebuilding itself.
But in the process, it was baptized.
His blood was replaced. His organs were dissolved and reborn — filled with dragon blood.
Now, all his blood was dragon blood.
His body was still human in shape, but his lineage had changed.
During his furious outburst, his height increased from 1.87m to 2 meters.
His thin body turned muscular.
His ordinary appearance shifted, becoming closer to that of the handsome man beside him.
Ever since he had bathed in dragon blood, he had been constantly transforming — but hadn't realized it, overwhelmed by the rollercoaster of emotions.
The pain of regeneration had been so unbearable that he thought he was still merely healing.
As he spoke, his Assassin Title activated.
A faint killing intent spread.
But with the new lineage, its density increased — not in range, but in power.
Alongside it, the Ruler's Aura began to manifest.
And the worst — or most terrifying — part was that the hilt of the sword floating before him began to resonate with his killing intent.
Its density surged.
The radius expanded from one meter to ten.
The pressure in the air grew suffocating.
The royal and murderous auras merged into something overwhelming.
Everyone was engulfed by that force.
At first, no one cared.
But as the clash between his lineage and the sword intensified, they began to feel uneasy.
Nzinga Otchali turned pale.
She had witnessed every change in real time — from the man she once considered human trash, the most pathetic being she had ever met, practically a ridiculous afterthought of the Primordial... into something that terrified her.
"Tell me... what fate is more tragic than watching those you love die?" — asked Danilo, his voice hoarse and cold. — "Because I know that's what's going to happen. Or being treated like an ant, with no respect, no dignity...
Because that's what's happening right now."
When Danilo spoke those last words, everyone fell silent.
Because deep down, that was exactly what they thought of him.
When they rescued him from the pool of Chaos Dragon blood, it wasn't out of compassion.
It was pure curiosity.
The curiosity of seeing a level 1 commoner survive the blood of a Chaos Dragon.
More curiosity than empathy.
Like finding a broken toy in the mud — and wondering why it still works.
"Life is hard for you, child," said the handsome man calmly, but firmly. —
"But the burden of carrying that thing... is something no sane person should accept.
Those who bear it are doomed to a life of blood and violence.
It's only a matter of time before you lose everyone you love."
Danilo slowly raised his gaze.
His eyes were red, his body trembling, but his voice came out steady:
"You're right.
It's only a matter of time before I lose everyone I love.
But... did you know that both my family and I have F-Class talents?
Even my mother... she has a Heart of Chaos, but she's also F-Class."
He took a deep breath — and the air around him seemed to vibrate with his determination.
"Now that the Divine Domain has arrived, one thing is certain: the world has changed.
And anyone with weak talent, without power... will become prey."
"My sixth sense tells me..." — he lifted his gaze, locking eyes with the divine beings before him —
"that sooner or later, I will lose my family."
"So with this thing... I at least have the option to protect them.
And if I lose those I love... I'll have the strength to take revenge."
While Danilo spoke, he didn't realize that, in venting his anger, he was also releasing things he shouldn't have.
When he mentioned the Chaotic Heart, everyone's expression turned to disbelief — then to sudden understanding, as if things began to make sense.
"You said your mother has a Chaotic Heart?" — asked the woman in white, incredulous.
Danilo realized he had said too much.
He tried to stop — but once again, on that shitty day, something terrible happened, and he couldn't shut his mouth.
"Yes... my mother has a Chaotic Heart," — Danilo muttered, horrified with himself.
Today was definitely the worst day of his life.
First, he had been controlled by a voice to walk toward a massive portal — even though he had already decided to go there, being controlled was absolute shit.
Now, he wanted to stay silent, but couldn't — and froze in horror.
Tired of it all, he turned toward the timer to see how much time was left before he could leave that shitty place and collect his rewards.
But once again, he was shocked:
Eight minutes remained.
And the timer... had stopped.
Danilo felt his heart clench.
Cold sweat ran down his neck.
He blinked, hoping it was an illusion.
But it wasn't.
"It stopped..." — he muttered, his voice trembling.
"It really stopped..."